Sign



J. B. WHlTLOW April 10, 1934.

SIGN

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 18. 1931 April 10, 1934. J. B. WHITLOW SIGN Original Filed Nov. 18, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zr uh Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November 18, 1931, Serial No. 575,901

' Renewed August 31, 1933 9 Claims.

This invention relates to signs of the type particularly adapted to be used for highway advertising, and one of the primary objects of this invention is the provision of a sign of the revolving type having means whereby the same may be automatically rotated by the action of the wind.

Another object of this invention is the production of novel means for mounting the sign upon a suitable support whereby the sign may be free 0 to revolve with a minimum amount of friction, and whereby efiicient lubricating means has been provided for facilitating the lubrication of the various parts.

A further object of this invention is the production of novel means for assembling various parts of the sign whereby the revolving head of the sign may be moved without dismantling the entire sign structure.

A still further object of this invention is the production of a simple and eificient means for mounting the wind-catching blades upon the head of the sign.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims. The present application is an improvement upon my previousPatent No. 1,825,564, issued September 29, 1931.

In the drawings:--

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wind operated revolving sign showing parts thereof broken away and in section to illustrate the construction thereof;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the revolving sign head, a portion thereof being broken away and shown in section;

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the wind-catching blades;

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view illustrating the construction of the supporting standard and the manner of attaching the revolving sign head to the standard;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a modified form of the revolving sign head, a portion thereof being shown in section;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of a portion of the sign head shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a detail perspective of one end of a modified form of the revolving sign head, certain parts thereof being shown in section and only a fragmentary portion of the sign head being illustrated; and

Figure 9 is a detail perspective view of the rear ternally threaded filler plug 4 for the purpose of sealing and closing the upper end of the tubular stem 2. The tubular stem 2 carries an alemite fitting 5 for the purpose of permitting the forcing of lubricants into the hollow portion 6 of the stem 2, and preferably this stem is filled with grease or other lubricant.

A sleeve 7 is threaded externally upon the upper end of the stem 2, as shown in Figure 5, and this sleeve '7 retains the bearing head 8, which is preferably of a tubular structure having an intermediate bearing race or groove 9 formed therein for receiving the ball-bearings 10. The lower end of the bearing head .8 is in the nature of an inverted cone, as indicated by the numeral 11, and is provided with a bearing race 12 for receiving the ball-bearings 13. This bearing head 8 is provided with a centrally located longitudinally extending bore or aperture 14 which carries at its upper end an alemite or other lubricating fitting 15 for the purpose of permitting a lubricant to be forced therein, and this bore 14 extends the full length of the head 8, as shown. The upper end of the bearing head 8 may be welded to the sign head supporting disc 16, or secured in any other suitable or desired manner. A self-sealing washer 17 is carried by the upper end of the sleeve 7 and fits snugly around the upper end of the bearing head 8. As shown in Figure 5, the bearings 13 rest upon and revolve upon the upper end of the stem 2, the ball-bearings being prevented from dropping into the stem through the medium of the sealing plug 4. The head 8 may be provided with a suitable lubricating aperture 18 for the purpose of permitting lubricants to pass out through the head and permit the grease to work down into engagement with the bearing balls 13.

As shown in the drawings, the revolving sign head 19 may be formed of a rectangular structure comprising a top wall 20, a bottom wall 21, and end walls 22. These walls 20, 21, and 22, are provided with side flanges 23 and 24, to which flanges 23 and 24 are respectively secured the rear and front plates 25 and 26. As previously explained, the upper supporting disc 16 carried by the bearing head 8 engages the revolving sign head, and as shown in Figure this disc 16 fits snugly under the underface of the top wall 20 and is secured thereto in any suitable or desired manner, for instance as by means of the bolts 27. A supporting disc plate 28 is carried by the top face of the bottom wall 21, and this disc plate 28 supports a bearing housing 29 and between this bearing housing 29 and the stem 2 are placed a series of ball-bearings 30, as shown in Figure 5. These ball-bearings 30 are held in proper position by means of the cup-shaped washer 31 which fits snugly around the stem 2 and rests upon and overhangs the bearing housing 29. The cup-shaped washer 31 is held in position by means of a collar 32, which is clamped upon the stem 2 by means of a set-screw or securing bolt 33. The cup-shaped washer 31 is formed, as illustrated, for the purpose of catching the drainage of the grease which may pass out through the lubricating aperture 34 formed in the stem 2. The bearing housing 29 may be secured to the disc plate or bearing plate 28 by being welded or in any suitable manner secured in conjunction therewith.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a very simple and eficient means has been provided for supporting the revolving sign head upon the supporting standard, and that a very simple and efficient means has also been provided for lubricating the bearings and rotating parts of the sign.

As shown in Figure 3, the top wall may be provided with suitable vent openings 35, and suitable wing ornaments 36 may be supported upon the top wall 20, as illustrated.

As shown clearly in the drawings, particularly in Figures 3 and 4, I have provided a special wind-catching wing, preferably mounted upon each end of the sign, the wind catching blades or wings being arranged so as to extend in opposite directions. As shown in Figure 4, each blade or fin 3'7 comprises a hollow body structure having a laterally extending flange 38 formed around the edge thereof for the purpose of fitting flat against the end walls 22 of the sign head, and these flanges 33 are secured to the end walls by means of suitable screws or other fastening means 39. Each blade or fin 37 is substantially V-shaped in transverse section, and is constructed to extend outwardly at an angle, and is provided with an inturned hook portion 40 for the purpose of more efficiently catching 5 the wind and facilitating the rotation of the sign head. Each fin or blade 37 comprises an outer curved wall 41, and an inner curved wall 42, these walls being preferably formed from a blank sheet of material and bent angularly to provide the hook portion 40. The upper end of each blade 37 is closed by means of the end plate 43 to seal the upper end of each blade or fin, and if desired the lower end may be left open. It is essential, however, that the hook portion 40 be employed, which hook portion is turned slightly inwardly to provide a pocket to efiiciently catch the wind and in this way facilitate the rotation of the sign. The outer edge of the hook portion 40 is folded back upon itself to provide a reinforcing flange 42.

As shown in Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, there is illustrated a modified form of the present invention, wherein a sign head 44 is provided with a top wall 45, and end walls 46. A suitable bottom wall also may be provided. The walls 45 and 46 are provided with suitable side flanges 47 and 48 respectively, as shown in the drawings. These flanges 47 and 48 extend around the side edges of the top and bottom walls 45 and 26, as shown. A front plate 49 is secured to the various walls of the sign head 44, in any suitable or desired manner. The rear plates 50 is special ly constructed, as is the front plate 49, each of the front and rear plates 49 and 50 being provided upon opposite ends with wind-catching fins or blades 51, the wind-catching fin or blade of each plate being similarly constructed and extending from only one end of the plate. The rear plate 50 is provided with a forwardly extending blade or fin 51, as illustrated, the blade extending outwardly at a radical angle along the side edge of the revolving sign head 44, and being turned inwardly to produce a wind-catching hook 52, the outer extremity of the fin or blade 51 being bent back upon itself to constitute a reinforcing flange 53. The front plate 49 is, as stated above, also provided with a suitable blade or fin which extends rearwardly upon the opposite side of the sign head and is similarly constructed to that as just described. Each fin or blade 51 is suitably braced both at the top and bottom, by means of an angle bracket 54 which is secured to the revolving sign head 44 and to the inner side of the blade or fin 51 through the medium of suitable securing means passing vertically of the ends of the sign head, and produce efiicient wind fins, blades, or cones, whereby the sign may be efficiently driven.

It should be understood that certain detail changes in the mechanical construction may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention so long as these changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:--

1. A wind operated revolving sign comprising a supporting standard, a rotatable sign head mounted upon said standard, opposite directed wind blades secured to the edge of said rotatable sign head, and having hook-shaped wind-receiving pockets extending the entire length of said blades and adapted to deflect the wind against the edges of the sign head for facilitating the rotation thereof.

2. A wind operated sign comprising a supporting standard, a rotatable head carried by the said standard including a rectangular body, wind blades secured to the ends of said body and extending in opposite directions, each wind blade provided with a projecting outer end extending a substantial distance beyond the sides of the body and having a directly inturned hook portion spaced from the end of said body for providing an adequate wind-receiving pocket to facilitate the catching of the wind and directing the wind against the ends of said body for rotating the sign head upon said standard.

3. A wind operated sign comprising a supporting standard, a rotatable head carried by said standard, oppositely extending wind blades secured to the ends of said rotatable head,and

its

having their outer edges spaced from said head, each blade comprising a substantially hollow body having a projecting edge extending beyond the side of the rotatable head, and having an inturned outer extremity extending the entire length of said blade and projecting a substantial distance beyond the sides of said body for producing a wind-receiving pocket, and flanges formed around the edge of said blades for facilitating the attachment of said blades to the respective ends of said revolving head.

4. A Wind operated revolving sign comprising a supporting standard, a rotatable head carried by said standard, said head provided with vertically extending oppositely directed blades upon the ends of said rotatable head, each blade projecting beyond the revolving head and having an inturned longitudinally extending hook portion upon the outer extremity thereof projecting a substantial distance beyond the respective sides of said body.

5. A sign of the class described comprising a rotatable head, said head comprising a front and a rear plate, each plate provided at one end with an angularly extending flange being inturned along its longitudinal extremity and folded back to constitute a reinforcing flange projecting beyond the sides and the edges of said head, and bracing means engaging said head and the ends of said flanges.

6. A rotatable sign of the class described comprising a body, said body comprising a front and a rear plate, each plate provided upon its opposite end with an oppositely directed wind-engaging blade extending at a radical angle to the longitudinal axis of the plate, each plate being inturned to provide a hook-shaped outer end longitudinally at its outer edge for facilitating the catching of wind and the subsequent rotation of said sign, and a bracing plate carried by said head and engaging eachblade for bracing said blades in proper angular relation with respect to the ends of said head.

I. In a wind operated revolving sign, a supporting standard including a stem, a bearing sleeve threaded upon said stem, a bearing head mounted within said sleeve, bearings carried thereby, and said bearing head provided with a lubricating channel extending the full length thereof and communicating with the bottom of said head.

8. In a wind operated rotatable sign, a supporting standard, a rotatable head mounted thereon, a bearing head supporting said rotatable head, a sleeve carried by said standard and surrounding said bearing head, a sealing washer mounted upon the upper end of said sleeve, bearings carried by said bearing head, the lower end of said bearing head being substantially an inverted cone, and said bearing head provided with a longitudinally extending lubricating bore communicating with the lower extremity of said inverted cone.

9. In a rotatable wind operated sign, a supporting post, a sign head mounted thereon, said supporting post comprising a supporting stem, a bearing head carried by the upper end of said stem for supporting the upper end of said rotatable sign head, said stem being hollow, means for facilitating the lubrication and the forcing of lubricants into said hollow stem, said stem provided with a lubricating drain aperture, a bearing housing carried by said rotatable head, bearings supported between said housing and said stem, a cup washer carried by and overhanging said bearing housing and adapted to receive leakage of lubricants from said stem, and a bearing collar clamped upon said stem for retaining said cupshaped washer in position.

JOE B. WHITLOW. 

